Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream Frosting

I'm a little behind on my blogging and I have at least 7 or 8 posts in my archive! I'll try to blog more diligently from now on, and hopefully I won't be distracted by other activities such as watching dramas and picking up new hobbies again! The first item to be ticked off from my archive list is a Japanese strawberry shortcake that was made back in March, when strawberries were still in season. I picked this recipe to try out because just like the roll cakes that I blogged about a while back, I've never been able to make a decent sponge cake before. But after my successful roll cake attempts, I plucked up my courage and tried my hand at sponge cake again. I'm glad that my Japanese strawberry shortcake was a success!

I was so happy with the strawberry shortcake that I made the cake again but in the form of cupcakes.

Strawberry Shortcake with Yogurt Cream Frosting Recipe
Recipe from 12カ月の季節の果物をうんと楽しむ タルトとケーキ

Ingredients:

Cake
3 eggs
75g caster sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon milk
85g cake flour, sifted twice
30g butter, melted

Frosting
500g plain yogurt
2 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons strawberry powder
300ml whipping cream

300g strawberries

Method:

To make the cake
1) Lightly grease a 18-cm round cake pan, line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 170 deg C.
2) Add the eggs, sugar and honey into a bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and then beat with an electric mixer until the mixture reaches 36-38 degree C.
3) Remove the bowl from heat. Continue to beat at high speed until the batter turns pale and thick, and it leaves a ribbon like trail when the whisk is lifted up.
4) Add milk, beat until well combined.
5) Add flour, gently with a hand whisk until the flour disappears into the batter.
6) Add melted butter, fold until well combined.
7) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, drop the pan on the counter 1-2 times to release air bubbles.
8) Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake turns out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely.

To make frosting
1) Prepare a large bowl of iced water. Put whipping cream, caster sugar and strawberry powder in a medium bowl and then place it into the large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until 90% peak forms. Using a spatula, fold the yogurt into the mixture until well combined.

To assemble
1) Reserve 5 or 6 whole strawberries for decorating the cake, cut the rest into thin slices.
2) Slice the cake horizontally into 3 parts.
3) Spread a thin layer of frosting on the first layer. Arrange sliced strawberries on it, spread with another thin layer on top of strawberries. Repeat with second layer of cake.
4) Place the third piece of cake on top. Frost the side and top of the cake.
5) Fit a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip and then fill the bag with frosting. Pipe out star shape frosting on top of the cake. Garnish with reserved strawberries.